New Federal Standard to Improve Safety of Infant Slings Takes Effect

Release date:
February 1, 2018

Release number:
18-092

Release Details

WASHINGTON, D.C. – If you, or anyone you know, uses an infant sling carrier, a new federal standard aimed at making sling carriers safer is now in effect. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved the standard to prevent deaths and injuries to young children. The new standard applies to any infant sling carrier manufactured or imported after January 30th 2018.

What are the new rules?

Among other things, all infant slings must have permanently attached warning labels and come with instructions, like illustrated diagrams, to show the proper position of a child in the sling. Warning labels must include statements about:

The suffocation hazards posed by slings and prevention measures,

The hazards of children falling out of slings, and

A reminder for caregivers to check the buckles, snaps, rings and other hardware to make sure no parts are broken

The mandatory standard also requires sling carriers to:

Be able to carry up to three times the manufacturer’s maximum recommended weight,

Be more durable to avoid seam separations, fabric tears, breakage, etc., and

Be able to keep the child being carried from falling out of the sling during normal use.

What the Data Show

Between January 2003 and September 2016, 159 incidents were reported to CPSC involving sling carriers, including 17 deaths and 67 injuries to infants during use of the product.

CPSC Safety Tips for Using Infant Sling Carriers

Make sure you know how to prevent deaths and injuries when using sling carrier

Make sure the infant’s face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling’s wearer.

If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby’s position after feeding so the baby’s head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother’s body.

It is so important to frequently check the baby in a sling, always making sure nothing is blocking baby’s nose and mouth and baby’s chin is away from its chest.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of
thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the
nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or
mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household
chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the
Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at
301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing
to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

You are about to leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website.

The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees.

Click Ok if you wish to continue to the website; otherwise, click Cancel to return to our site.